A Program That Could Reduce Litter

The next time you — or a passenger in your vehicle — consider tossing a plastic bottle or aluminum can out the window, think again. The criminal act could be reported to city police.

It’s part of a program sponsored by Citizens for a Clean Lynchburg to combat unsightly litter along the city’s streets and highways. It was launched last month.

Residents who see someone throwing trash from a vehicle are encouraged to report it. They can do that by providing police with the vehicle’s make, model and license plate number. The report should also include the type of trash thrown out for someone else to pick up, and when and where the violation occurred.

To report the person littering, residents should call the Lynchburg Police Department at (434) 455-6118. The caller will remain anonymous.

City police will use the information provided to find the vehicle’s owner, followed by a letter to the owner’s address reminding him or her of the law and providing a litter bag for future use. No charges are filed and no further action is taken.

It’s a marvelous program that could go a long way toward educating those who still have not received the message about how senseless — and illegal — it is to toss trash onto the roadway. Littering is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail.

The program is designed to serve more as an educational tool than one leading to prosecution of litterers. It’s just a little reminder, said Ken Smith of Citizens for a Clean Lynchburg. He added that he hoped the letter “can change their behavior. That person is committing a crime. It’s not just a nuisance. It’s a crime.”

Drivers are responsible, Smith said, to make sure that trash is not intentionally or accidentally thrown from their cars.

The CCL spokesman said that a similar program begun in Fairfax several years ago receives as many as 15 complaints a month. Three complaints have been received here since the program began.

In addition to being unsightly, litter is also an expense to the taxpayers. The financially beleaguered Virginia Department of Transportation spends some $7 million annually cleaning up roadside litter.

Citizens for a Clean Lynchburg is a nonprofit organization that links businesses, municipal and civic groups and citizens concerned about solid waste issues.

“We need to improve the overall health of this city,” Smith said. “We need to think of what we can do to make our city a healthier and lovelier place to live.”

A goal for every Lynchburg resident, he added, is for those who visit the city to leave thinking how clean it is. That’s an easily attainable goal for everyone if they will keep a litter bag in their vehicle and use it. That will also keep their name out of the city police files as a littering suspect.